Senior Manager of IT

Company Description About KIPP Kansas City Public Schools:

KIPP Kansas City Public Schools is part of a nationwide network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory charter schools dedicated to preparing students in educationally underserved communities for success in college and life. Our strength as a region serves as a catalyst for empowerment, change, and hope.

Founded in 2007, KIPP Kansas City Public Schools began with KIPP Endeavor Academy, serving approximately 31 fifth-grade students. Today, we educate approximately 1,000 students from Pre-K through 12th grade, with our community continuing to expand. Together with families and communities, we strive to create joyful, academically excellent schools that equip students with the skills and confidence to pursue their chosen paths—whether college, career, or beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and contribute to a more just world.

The Senior Manager of Information Technology is responsible for the strategic vision, daily operations, security, and management of the district’s technology infrastructure. This role ensures that students, teachers, and administrative staff have secure, reliable, and equitable access to digital tools. The Senior Manager oversees network engineering, systems administration, cybersecurity, user support (Help Desk), and hardware deployment, bridging the gap between complex technical infrastructure and K-12 instructional goals.

The Senior Manager reports directly to the Managing Director of Operations and works collaboratively with the Director of Operations, CSuite team, school leaders, teachers, and staff.

• Oversee the design, implementation, maintenance, and scalability of the district’s local and wide area networks, Wi-Fi, cloud environments, and physical/virtual servers.
• Manage the district's hybrid infrastructure, including identity and access management (IAM) and Single Sign-On (SSO) systems for active users.
• Supervise the lifecycle management of all district‑issued hardware, including the student 1:1 device initiative (Chromebooks, iPads, laptops) and staff workstations.

• Serve as the primary architect of the district's cybersecurity posture; implement and enforce robust firewalls, endpoint protection, and multi-factor authentication (MFA).
• Ensure strict compliance with federal and state student data privacy laws, including FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act), and CIPA (Children's Internet Protection Act).
• Maintain and routinely test the district’s IT Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity plans, including immutable backup configurations.

• Establish and monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for the IT Help Desk to ensure rapid, empathetic support to school sites.
• Foster a customer-service-oriented culture within the IT department that understands the urgency of classroom tech disruptions.

• Assist in developing and managing the annual IT operational and capital budgets.
• Maximize the district's utilization of federal E-Rate funding for telecommunications and internet access, ensuring strict adherence to documentation requirements.
• Negotiate and manage contracts with software vendors, hardware manufacturers, and cellular/internet service providers.

• Develop annual technology communication plans that align with the district’s strategic goals and keep stakeholders informed and engaged.
• Craft staff technology surveys to obtain data to about technology usage, performance, and accessibility
• Effectively communicate and initiate technology protocols and expectations for managing technology equipment

• Maintain appropriate records and documentation of expenditures as aligned to the technology budget for the district
• Provide guidance and stewardship around purchasing of programs and systems that are fiscally and technologically beneficial to the district

• Required:
  
  Bachelor’s degree in Computer…